Gloucester distillery debuts new Folly Cove Rum

With an aroma of butterscotch in the air, about 30 liquor store owners and guests tasted the inaugural batch of Folly Cove Rum on Tuesday at the Ryan and Wood Distilleries in Gloucester.

By Terry Weber

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Terry Weber

Posted Feb. 12, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 12, 2010 at 12:17 PM

By Terry Weber

Posted Feb. 12, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 12, 2010 at 12:17 PM

GLOUCESTER

» Social News

With an aroma of butterscotch in the air, about 30 liquor store owners and guests tasted the inaugural batch of Folly Cove Rum on Tuesday at the Ryan and Wood Distilleries in Gloucester.

“The butterscotch scent is a sign of good rum,” said Bob Ryan, co-owner of the distillery. “It means the rum was produced and aged just right.”

Guests enjoyed tastings of Ryan and Wood’s other two spirits including Beauport Vodka and Knockabout Gin, and a tour of the distillery led by Ryan. A native of Gloucester, Ryan worked on the waterfront for over 15 years processing seafood. After his family sold their business, Ryan became inspired by a “perfect storm” of events that led to the opening of the distillery.

Ryan and his friend and future business partner, Dave Wood of Manchester, were looking for a unique business to diversify Gloucester’s economy. Independently they read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a man named Duncan Holiday in Vermont who distilled maple sap to make vodka. Both Ryan and Wood became intrigued with the idea of creating an alcohol which not only boosted Gloucester’s economy, but honored its maritime heritage.

As Ryan and Wood bounced ideas off each other, Ryan coincidentally attended bartending school in Boston with his college-aged kids.

“I learned to respect cocktails and mixology,” said Ryan, “About the same time an expert from the American Distilling Institute came to speak at a seminar and I traveled with him around New England looking behind the scenes at small batch spirit producers. I was able to pick up trade secret and my interest in distilling grew from there.”

Folly Cove Rum honors Gloucester’s maritime history, as do all of Ryan and Wood’s products. Folly Cove was the site of numerous shipwrecks as ships would seek shelter in the cove during storms but were unaware of its rocky bottom. Smugglers would also seek shelter in the cove, only to be greeted by rough waters and unforgiving rocks.

Produced from molasses, Folly Cove is fermented and distilled in Ryan and Wood’s alembic custom copper pot still. Once distilled, the rum ages in white oak barrels which adds a distinctive flavor. The rum is then bottled and labeled by hand.

The still, or the component that actually distills the rum, was custom built in Germany and its style has been appreciated for hundreds of years by manufacturers interested in hand crafted or small batch products. Small batch distilling requires constant monitoring and takes more time than large “assembly line” manufacturing.

“I strongly believe in the superior quality of our small batch production,” said Ryan. “We have full control over the ingredients that go into our products. We create them one batch at a time, and each batch can vary slightly, making it an interesting experience to drink. We can touch, smell and taste each of our products. Hate to sound corny, but each bottle contains a bit of local pride.”

Page 2 of 2 - Ryan and Wood Distilleries is located in Gloucester at Blackburn Industrial Park. For more information, visit www.ryanandwood.com or call 978-281-2282.